Railroad safety device



Feb. 26, 1924,. 1,485,331 l. L. EDWARDS RAILROAD SAFETY DEVICE Filed Jan. 18 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet l l. L. EDWARDS RAILROAD SAFETY DEVICE Feb. 26, 1924; 1,485,331

Filed Jan. 18, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 26, 1924.

ISAAC L. nnwanns, or eneas, earners.

RAILROAD SAFETY DEVICE.

Application filed. January 18,1923. Serial No. 613,519.

To all whom it wmg concern:

Be it known that I, Isaac L. EDWARDS, residing at Aurora, Illinois, a citizen of the United States, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railroad by reason of cross-overs, switches that may byoversight or design be left or placed in a dangerous position, trains or cars running uponthe same tracks either in the same or op osite directions etc., which dangers may e increased because of carelessness of engineers in regard toheeding signals, their failure to see signals because of weather or other conditions beyond their control, or the existence of other factors for which they are not responsible thus making it important that the running or control of trains at dangerous or critical points, such as switches or cross-overs shall be cared for.

by automatic devices or devices which are operated or are caused to operate regardless of the engineer and thus make the movement of the trains at critical. or dangerous points wholly independent of the'engineer, andto.

accomplish all this by mechanism that will be as nearly infallible in its operation as possible, free from danger ofaccidental derangement and capable of operation under all weather conditions. My invention consists in whatever is defined by or is included within the scope or meaning of the appended claims. I V

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is afperspective view of a portion.

of a railroad equipped with my invention; Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof; Fig. 3 is a view partly in longitudinal section and partly in side elevation;

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 44 of Fig. 3.

In what I now consider the complete and most advantageous. embodiment .of my invention there are si gnals intended for the instruction of the engineerso that he will be admonished or warned voluntarilyto stop the train and train stopping mechanism which comprises cooperating members 7 situated at proper points along the track and r d y th tr n, pre e a y t e-lat e being on both engine and the rear car, which should the engineer fail to stop the train will automatically stop the train at a safe point either by, causing the application of the brakes alone or cutting off the steam or power and applying the brakes, these signal and control mechanisms being set or caused to become eflicient or active by a man or operator located a conveniently situated tower or other point. The signal devices are preferably located adjacent the track, being semaphores or lights or both, and also located in the cab of the locomotive and being either a sounding device or a light or both.

Referring to the drawings for an-under standing in detail of the embodiment of my invention shown therein, it will be found that I mount upon the cross-ties between the rails, 10, of the track and nearer one rail than the other a base, 11 in the form of a substantial bar of metal that extends parallel with the adjacent rail, 10, and upon which are pivotally supported several, or two or more horizontally extending levers,- 12, whose pivots, 13, extend vertically and which pivots are between the ends of the levers, and upon the levers between the two rails, 10, I mount ahorizontally 'extendingbar, 14, which is connected by a pivot, 15, to each of the levers so that as the'levers swing horizontally the bar, 14, will swing horizontally between a positionnearer one of the rails, 10, and a position substantially midwayv between the two rails, the position nearer one of the rails being its inactive position and its position midway between the rails being its active position or one in whichit is engaged by the cooperating member carried by the locomotive and the rear car of a moving train and the construction of which is hereinafter described in detail.

.It will .be perceived that the motions of the levers, 12, and the bar, 14,

are horizontal and hence cannot be interfered withby any objects beneath them such switch to permit the stoppage of a fast moving train before it reaches the switch or cross-over.

Various instrumentalities may be employed to effect the movement of the bar, 14, to and from active position. I show in the drawings mechanism such as that illustrated and described in my United States Patent No. 1,299,311 issued April 1, 1919' and also appearing in my Patent No. 1,351,946 issued September 7, 1920, reference to which may be made for a full description and illustration thereof to supplement the brief description which will be given herein and which mechanism is under the control of or put in operation by a tower man or an operator in a conveniently located station. Said mechanism includes a compressed air or pneumatic cylinder, 16, the piston of which is connected by a rod, 17, with one of the levers, 12, and which cylinder may be located adjacent the track near the lever, 12, with which it is connected or as I prefer itis located in the tower or station so that it is under cover and hence protected from weather conditions which might interfere with its dependable operation. As a mat ter of convenient illustration I show it in Fig. 1 of the drawing alongside the track near the lever, 12, with which it is connected. Said pneumatic cylinder, 16, is also caused to operate a semaphore, 18, placed alongside the track near the bar, 14, and which when the bar, 14, is placed in position to stop the train will be visible so that the engineer may see it in time voluntarily to stop the train. Said semaphore may be of the form and construction shown in Fig. 2 of the draw ings of my Patent No. 1,351,946 and to rotate the vertical shaft, 19, thereof, a crank arm, 20, on such shaft is connected by a link, 21. with one of the levers, 12.

Upon the underside of the locomotive and also upon a rear car of the train, if desired I mount means for cooperation with the bar, 14, which when actuated will apply the brakes and also out off the power as by operating the engine throttle. Said means comprises a block or body, 22, which has a horizontally extending chamber, or passage from side to side through which extends a cylindrical bar or shaft. 23, which is rotatable in the passage or chamber in the block and is provided. with a diametrically extending port, 24, adapted by the turning of the shaft or valve to aline with and establish communication between diametrically opposite ports, 25, in the block one of which ports, 25, is connected by a pipe, 26, with the main air chest or reservoir on the engine and the other of which ports, 25, is connected by a pipe, 28, with the air apparatus on each car of the train to cause the setting of the brakes when air is turned on from the chest or reservoir, 27. Normally the valve,

23, is in a position which places its port out of alinement with the ports that lead to the pipes, 26 and 28. Fixed to the ends of the valve, 23, is a lever, 29, in the form of a pair of arms which extend rearwardly and down wardly and between which a roller, 30, is mounted in position to strike the bar, 14, when the latter is swung horizontally to substantially midposition between the two rails, 10, and riding upon said bar, 14, will swing said arm upward and rock valve, 23, to establish communciation through its port, 24, with the pipes 26 and 28. The ends of the bar, 14, are inclined upward so as to make the contact of the roller, 30, therewith an easy one, and to prevent the too suddenapplication of the brakes by the gradual opening of communication between pipes, 26 and 28, and still further to promote the gradual application of the brakes the bar, 14, has a general inclination upward and onward, having reference to the direction of the travel of the train, and at intervals of its length it has depressions, 31, which allow more or less the release of the brakes as the train moves forward. To support the bar, 14, under the downward pressure from the contact of the roller, 30, therewith suitable bearings may be provided which may take the form of rollers, 32, mounted on the cross ties in position to engage the bar, 14, on the underside at points between the levers, 12.

A heavy coil spring, 33, interposed between the block, 22, and an arm, 34, of the lever, 29, acts to yieldingly hold the lever so that its roller, 30, will have contact with the bar, 14.

If desired as shown in Fig. 3 the movement of the lever, 29, by contact with the bar, 14, may operate the throttle lever, 35, of the engine so as to cut 0H steam at the same time that the brakes are applied.

The particular connection between the lever, 29, and the throttle lever forms no part of my present invention. and hence need not be shown in detail nor described and moreover its use is optional. Even though there should be a succession of short movements of the lever, 29, due to the undulating form of the bar. 14. that will be of no consequence even though such movements should be imparted to the throttle lever, but obviously an arrangement could be employed which would leave the throttle lever in the position to which it would be moved upon the first upward swing of the lever. 29, such an arrangement being provided by the slot and pin connection illustrated in Fig. 3.

To prevent breakage of or other injury to the lever, 29, by striking objects on the road bed, a guard may be supported from the block, 22, in advance of the lever which guard may as shown in Figs. 1 and 3 be a plow-shaped member. 35, that has a pointed front or advancing edge which after the fashion of a cow-catcher or a dpilot Wlll thrust objects aside and this guar may also serve to displace snow or ice along the mid- 1 a lever, 36, which is pivoted at one end to a pivot, 37, in the form of an extension of the shaft or valve, 23, and which extends downward and rearward and has a roller, 38, adapted to engage a device similar to the bar, 14, and like the latter movable to and from position to engage the roller and when the roller, 38, is thus engaged the lever, 36, will be moved upward and by means of a vertical rod, 39, passing up into the cab of the engine will close a circuit through a switch, 40, to cause the ringing of an electric bell, 41, and the lighting of a lamp, 42. I show' in Fig. 2 an illustration of such means for operating the lever, 36, which comprises a bar, 140, parallel levers, 120, to the ends of which said bar is pivotally connected, said levers being mounted on a base, 110, supported adjacent the track rail, 10, the levers being pivotally connected outside said rail, 10, to a rod, 17. Thus long before the train reaches the critical or dangerous place in the road the engineer will be warned that a condition exists making it imperative to stop the train and should he fail to obey such warning then by the action of the bar, 14, on the lever, 29, the train will be stopped regardless of the engineer by the application of the brakes and if desired by cutting off power to the engine.

It will be understood that my automatic brake applying means is wholly auxiliary to the brake applying mechanism which the engineer is expected voluntarily to use and in no way interferes with the proper use thereof.

When after air has been turned into the pipe, 28, the valve, 23, is turned to cut off communication with the supply pipe, 26, any air in the pipe, 28, is released therefrom by a port, 43, in the valve, 23, which establishes communication between the port, 25, leading to the pipe, 28, and the outside of the valve block, 22, when the valve is turned to a position that cuts ofi communication between pipes 26 and 28.

What I claim is:

1. The combination of bers on train and road bed, the latter comprising a bar thin in a vertical direction and mounted for horizontal movement laterally and longitudinally at the same time to place it into and out ofposition for operation, the upper surface of said bar being its working surface, and means for thus moving such bar.

2. The combination of cooperating members on train and road bed, the latter comprising a bar thin in a vertical direction and mounted for horizontal movement laterally and longitudinally at the same time to place it into and out of position for operation,

and means forthus moving such bar, said bar having a vertically undulating upper side for gradual operation of the control mechanism.

3. The combination of cooperating members on train and road bed, the latter comprising a bar thin in a vertical direction and mounted for horizontal movement to place it in and out of position for operation, said bar inclining from its end which is towards an approaching train and having a vertically undulating upper side for engagement by the train member, and means for moving said bar horizontally comprising thin horizontally movable levers.

4. The combination of a valve forming block carried by the train, a transversely extending valve having a port which controls communication between pipes of the air brake system, a lever attached to said valve and extending downwardly and rearwardly therefrom and means mounted on the road bed movable to and out of position to coact with said lever, a signal carried by the train and a signal operating lever mounted on an extension of said valve.

5. The combination of a block carried by the train having a transversely extending opening, a valve extending through such opening, block and valve having cooperating ports, the valve extending to both sides of the block and a lever consisting of a pair of arms attached respectively to the ends of the valve outside the block and which extend towards one another and support a trip engaging member.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

ISAAC L. EDWARDS.

cooperating mem 

